With the game tied at 3-3 in the 10th inning, Blake Brown crushed a solo homer to lift the Gateway Grizzlies to a 4-3 victory against the Windy City ThunderBolts at Standard Bank Stadium on Thursday night.
The Grizzlies (25-43) and ThunderBolts (29-39) went back and forth all evening before Brown delivered his 17th long ball of the season against former Grizzlies’ pitcher Chris DeBoo (3-4). Tyler Thompson (3-5) shut the door with a scoreless bottom half of the tenth after retiring the side in order with the game tied in the ninth.
Gateway rookie left-hander Dillon Haviland threw 6.1 solid innings in his third pro start. The ThunderBolts struck first against Haviland in the fourth inning when Max White and Cody Keefer hit back-to-back doubles to make it 1-0.
The Grizzlies responded immediately in the top half of the fifth as Brown walked to start the frame against LHP Austin Wright. Brown then stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Windy City catcher Larry Balkwill. Grant Buckner hit a bloop single into right field to score Brown, which tied the game at 1-1. In the bottom half of the inning, Windy City’s Austin Gallagher stepped to the plate and laced an RBI double to right field. The ThunderBolts held a 2-1 advantage at the end of the five innings.
Garrett Vail powered the Grizzlies’ rally in the seventh inning. With two runners on and one out, Vail smacked a two-run double to deep centerfield. Brown and Buckner, who started the inning with a pair of singles, both came around to score. Vail’s third hit of the game gave the Grizzlies a 3-2 lead.
Windy City managed to scratch across a run against Haviland and RHP Ross Spurgeon in the seventh. Mike Torres was plated on a fielder’s choice from Cody Keefer, tying the score at 3-3.
Jordan Wellander threw a scoreless eighth inning before Thompson retired all six batters he faced in the ninth and tenth.
The Grizzlies return home to GCS Ballpark on Friday for a doubleheader against the Traverse City Beach Bums on Friday evening. Game 1 begins at 5:30 p.m. The game can be heard on the Grizzlies Radio Network, which airs on 101 ESPN’s digital platforms and 1400 AM KJFF. Sam Levitt will call the action.
